The Dreaded Normal MRI Results

The very first MRI I had back in 2009, when my symptoms began, was examined by a neurologist, which he found a "small, nonspecific lesion" and mentioned I should keep a watch on it with future MRIs. My symptoms then started as left-sided, mild hemiparesis and left unilateral paresthesia. I noticed it in my left thigh, and it gradually radiated down to my left leg and up my back to the left arm. Of course, at the time like many others with unilateral hemiparesis/paresthesia, I thought I was having a stroke. The constant "buzz" and weakness persist for several days before dying out and transitioning to a chronic but transient reoccurance of the same symptoms, but albeit very faint in comparison to the episode that lasted several days. This transient buzzing has never stopped since.

One later in 2010, I experience what I believe was the Lhermitte's Sign. I was talking to a customer and leaned my head to the right, about 45 degrees, which then triggered a painful electrical shock jolting down my neck and right side. My grimacing and wincing response to the pain was outwardly noticeable, as the customer asked if I was all right. I told them I was fine, of course, even though my neck and side was burning with the aftershock of the jolt. This carries on for about a year every time I tilt my neck in that same position.

Then, two months ago was the doozy. 6 years after my first episode, I experience what I believe is my second full-blown episode. At first, I believed it was a migraine aura with the whole nausea, faint spots in front of the eyes but not enough to cloud vision entirely, and a tension headache. This builds for an hour until I'm released from class and drive home. As soon as I get in the house the spots get bigger and explode into white. They are becoming so opaque, big, and numerous, that I cannot even see to read my textbook. This continues for an hour before my left side explodes and lights up. This is no longer the ignorable and tolerance faint, transient buzzing. The intensity of the paresthesia has increased to a painful level, and I now begin to notice a clear division between my flaming, electric left side and my normal, unaffected right side -- from my scalp to my toes. Realizing that this was no migraine and that it was episode number 2, I begin to write every symptom thereafter.

As this is already lengthy, I'll sum that symptom list up. The next day, the total numbness and weakness kicked it. It affects my walking so much I end up with shin splints in my lower left leg within two days. The total numbness and weakness last for two days, and it transitions back into more of the paresthesia. Although every area of my left side was fair game, it kinda came and went like Christmas tree lights set on blink so that a group of lights light up, then fade, then another group lights up, then fades, and so on -- several localized areas of my skin "light up" then fade as other areas begin to "light up" and fade just the same. I actually kinda thought this part was pretty interesting and cool, hah! Then after a day of Christmas tree paresthesia, it fades into similar normal transient buzz, but with greater intensity this time -- more on pair with the intensity of the first episode.


And that's kind of my story. I had a second MRI a year after my first episode, which the radiologist and my primary said was normal. When I told him about the lesion that the neurologist found, he said he didn't see it. I just had my third MRI done last week, of course because of this 2nd episode, and it was normal as well. I'm still waiting on an appointment with my new primary to cover the specifics, but I can't help to feel extremely deflated and disappointed at this time, and I'm just so very confused as well. I'm currently in nursing school with a year and a half left, so this second episode is just very inopportune. I had to remediate and come back to perform hands-on skills that I just couldn't do the first time because my left hand was locking up and the paresthesia flared up so bad that I couldn't concentrate. I scrawled like a baby to the instructor that day. The whole ordeal was just overwhelmingly mortifying.

I just dunno where to go from here, and I feel like a hypochondriac talking to most everyone else. The neurologist who found the first lesion is no longer in practice anymore, so it makes things harder surrounding the elusive "small, nonspecific lesion" that no one else seems to find. I think I'm just in need of moral support right now from those that understand, because I'm feeling so defeated and have no idea what direction to take from here. ;{